In front of a packed house of New York City sports media on Tuesday afternoon at the Mendez Boxing Gym, all four TV fighters, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, DANIEL “The Real Deal” GEALE, BRYANT By By” JENNINGS and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ went through one of their final workouts prior to the “G4” event this Saturday night, July 26 at Madison Square Garden.

The controversy over the Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara contest was always focused on the wrong topic. The decision in favor of Canelo looked quite correct, although people I respect had it the other way. The real question is how anyone could stick a guy who fights like Lara in a pay-per-view match.

Charging $59.95 to see this fleeing mantis in high-def is like selling time-shares for nonexistent condominiums. Someone should call a cop. The fact that Lara can run backwards for twelve rounds is an impressive athletic ability, but that’s not footwork. It’s a half-marathon.

Now that Showtime has showed the fight again, this time to all the network’s subscribers, many more fans have had the chance to make their own judgments about the contest. I would guess an overwhelming majority of those who waited a week were profoundly happy they didn’t get sucked into buying a live showing.

What Lara showed us once again was that when an opponent who packs a punch comes at him, he jumps back again and again. Rarely does he stand his ground against attack. Nor does he step to the side. What Lara does do is use his extraordinary reach to land his excellent jab and occasionally stop running to throw some punches – often very good punches. Then he skedaddles all over again.

Fighters like him certainly have a right to fight their fight. After all, it’s a free country (though not as free as it was before the government began secretly monitoring all our electronic communications). But asking fans at home to pay extra to see Lara-type fighters is downright nuts – and duplicitous – because invariably the promoters and networks will advertise the fight as something fans will enjoy seeing. Which is precisely what Golden Boy and Showtime did.

It’s almost hard to imagine the kind of nerve it takes to produce and present a series of “All Access” shows that promote a Lara contest as something special. If I were putting him on my network I’d try to draw as little attention to it as possible. Because the more viewers that see it, the more viewers you’re going to disappoint. And the more who won’t be back for the next one.

The card was another example of something I call the Mexican tax. That’s when greedy promoters and networks force Mexican and Mexican-American fans to pay extra for their loyalty. Beloved Canelo could sell tickets if he were fighting a billy goat so the fraudsters who make these decisions figure it’s okay to stick them with a snooze-mongering opponent and still demand extra payment.

By the way, Canelo, 44-1-1 (31 KOs) wasn’t exactly perfect. He came forward trying to make a fight of it, but on too many occasions when he got into range he just stopped and looked at Lara. Perhaps it was in amazement. Do my eyes deceive me? Why, the guy’s not going backwards! Oops, there he goes again.

Anyway, Canelo just turned 24 and he’s still learning. Lara belittled him every chance he got, but his feet told the real story, and they showed the tough Mexican plenty of Cuban respect.
Showtime can console itself with the knowledge that it didn’t just hurt itself with this fight. It hurt archrival HBO as well. Because fans care little about which network presents a particular PPV card. They just want to see good fights, and when they’re left with a bad taste in their mouths they will be less willing to buy the next one, regardless of who’s presenting it.

Also unsatisfactory was the network analysts’ constant labeling of Canelo-Lara as a contest between the two best junior middleweights in the world. Didn’t they see Floyd Mayweather decisively defeat Canelo in a junior middleweight contest last September on their own network? Do they have any doubts that they’d get the same outcome if there were a rematch? Yet these on-camera guys (with the exception of MMA and wrestling mouthpiece Mauro Ranallo) are genuine boxing experts. Unfortunately, when forced to choose between facts and sleazy network propaganda, once again they dive into sleaze.

My hat is off to Brian Kenney, who called it the way it was.

New York Times best-selling author Ivan G. Goldman’s Sick Justice: Inside the American Gulag was released in 2013 by Potomac Books. Watch for The Debtor Class: A Novel from Permanent Press in spring, 2015.
You can check !!

1 week ago :
Erislandy Lara: “Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo know I was robbed”
Erislandy Lara and his trainer Ronnie Shields stated their case to the boxing media for why the split-decision loss against Canelo Alvarez should have gone their way at the post-fight press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Knockouts can transform good boxers into stars and stars into pay-per-view kings. Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao are great examples of how the art of the knockout can lift boxers into rock star status.

Not only do the fans like to see knockouts, it’s beneficial for the boxers as well. Unfortunately in boxing we spend as much time talking about bad scorecards as we do great performances. Boxers who are able to knockout their opponent and take the decision away from the judges will always be more successful.

You can’t trust the judges to always pick the correct winner; Pacquiao knows that truth as well.

In determining which knockouts would make the list and how to rank them, I considered three factors: What was at stake, if the knockout secured a comeback after the boxer trailed and the overall “wow factor” of the punches or combination of punches that put his opponent on the mat.

For the purposes of this article I’ll consider boxers who also won by TKO or by the referee stopping the bout since the fight was still stopped early and the winning boxer would have likely won by knockout if it had continued.

LISTEN :Tyson Fury insists preparations ahead of Saturday’s showdown against British heavyweight rival Dereck Chisora will not be derailed by a misconduct charge.

Fury launched a string of expletives at Chisora and one of the journalists in attendance at a London press conference last week to promote the clash at Manchester’s Phones 4u Arena.

The 25-year-old has been summoned to appear before the British Boxing Board of Control on August 13 as a result of his antics but claimed he was “not interested” in the charge and does not regret the behaviour that prompted it.

On Thursday the BBBofC released a statement saying that after considering what happened, it had decided to call the Manchester-born fighter to a meeting “under Regulation 25 (misconduct)”, adding that “failure to attend this hearing will result in Mr Fury’s boxer’s licence being suspended.”

Fury said: “I’m not interested. They can charge me with whatever they want, it doesn’t mean anything to me.

“What do we suppose they are going to be doing – fining me or suspending me? I’m not interested.

“I pay the board their wages. Keep being mean to me, and I will look elsewhere to pay someone else some wages.”

Prior to the BBBofC statement being issued, Fury had apologised for the way he had acted, posting on social media: “I apologise for my ungodly actions @ the press Recently with @dellboychisora there was no bad feelings or Intentions. Just a show,#forgiveme.

“Boxing has been good to me it has brought me Security,Health,&kept me out of trouble, I thank every1 who has been Involved in my career. Xxx”

But he was in a less repentant mood on Monday as he conducted interviews at a media session in Bolton in the final build-up to the contest, which takes place on Saturday at Manchester’s Phones 4u Arena.

“It is what it is,” Fury said. “I say what I say and I do what I do. I don’t regret it – I mean everything I say and that is it.

“I’m not the kind of man to say something and not back it up. I said what I said, I do what I do and I’m proud of it.

“No-one is going to stop me from doing anything I want to do. That is the way I roll.

“I don’t do anything criminal, so I’m not going to get taken away in a set of handcuffs.

“This is boxing – showbusiness, entertainment. I do what I do and say what I say to build big fights and if I was ‘Mr Quiet’, nobody would be interested.”

Fury (22-0, 16 KOs) and 30-year-old Chisora (20-4, 13 KOs) will contest a final eliminator for the WBO title which is currently held by Wladimir Klitschko, also the WBA and IBF champion.

Chisora’s European belt and the vacant British title will also be up for grabs on Saturday. The pair met first time around in 2011, with Fury triumphing on points.
What doyou think ?

It’s good:MATTHEW MACKLIN will face WBC International champion Jorge Sebastien Heiland in an official eliminator for the WBC middleweight title held by Miguel Cotto at the National Stadium in Dublin on August 30, live on Sky Sports – with tickets on sale from 9am on Tuesday July 22.

Macklin is back in action for the first time since December and can take a huge step towards facing the Puerto Rican legend if he can see off Heiland, the 27-year-old Heiland who is ranked at number four with the WBC and won the WBC International title in November with a fifth-round knockout of Billi Godoy in his native Argentina.

Macklin is ranked at nine in the division and is chomping at the bit to get back into the ring and has set his sights on a showdown with Cotto.

“For the last few years now all my fights have been in the US and while it’s been great having big fights in New York and Las Vegas I’ve definitely missed fighting at home,” said Macklin. “There’s a huge appetite among boxing fans to see big time boxing back in Dublin and there’s no atmosphere in the world like an Irish fight night. I know that Eddie can deliver the big fights for me in Dublin so it’s a very exciting time for me.

“It’s great to have an eliminator to put me straight back in the frame for another world title fight. Heiland is rated number four with the WBC so I’m sure he will be coming to Ireland with his own World title ambitions. It’s a must win fight for me and it doesn’t matter what he brings to the ring on August 30, he won’t be beating me.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn brings a star-studded cast of fighters to Dublin for Matchroom Boxing’s first show it the city, with Olympic gold medal hero Anthony Joshua MBE facing another step up in opponent as he faces Yaroslav Zavorotnyi, the Ukrainian who took David Price ten rounds in June.

Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Kal Yafai defends his title against Belfast’s Luke Wilton, and there’s a spicy grudge match between bitter rivals Spike O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald meeting in the ring in what promises to be a fiery encounter.

Dublin’s Luke Keeler and Declan Garrity also appear on the bill with Hearn set to announce more names for the show soon, as he launches a new era for Matchroom Boxing in the great city of Dublin.

“I can’t wait for our first show in Dublin, the fans are in for a real treat,” said Hearn. “It’s a stacked card with Matthew in a hugely important fight that puts him in a great position to challenge for another World title.

“We’ve seen Matthew denied of what I believe was a victory in Germany against Sturm and a great performance against Sergio Martinez – the Cotto fight would be a great event. He is straight back in at the deep end against Heiland but let’s be honest, he wouldn’t want it any other way!

“Fans can expect plenty of fireworks on the undercard. Heavyweight sensation Anthony Joshua makes a big step up against Zavorotnyi who just lost a 10-round points decision against David Price. Super-flyweight star Kal Yafai makes the first defence of his Commonwealth crown and Gary O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald take part in an all-Ireland grudge match.”

From – http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/matthew-macklin-targets-miguel-cotto-after-securing-eliminator-against-jorge-sebastien-heiland/

While most of the world was focused on the main event, Dulorme revealed that he was most interested in Herrera’s title winning performance against Johan Perez.

“I came to Las Vegas to see that fight more than the Canelo and Lara fight. I wanted to see about a possible future fight with Herrera. I think that it would be a great fight, Mexico versus Puerto Rico,” said the Carolina, Puerto Rico resident.

Dulorme is currently in California training at Robert Garcia’s RGBA gym. He said that the current plan is for him to take a stay busy fight in August and then he hopes to land a bigger fight.

“I am in Oxnard and I have already started training. I might be back fighting on August 30th in Puerto Rico. That isn’t set in stone but it’s the plan for now,” Dulorme told BoxingScene.com.
Article Link here – http://www.boxingscene.com/thomas-dulorme-eyes-mauricio-herrera-showdown–80161?#ixzz3880Aoz4c
Thank you!!

VENTURA, Calif. — Moments after going five rounds with a sparring partner who outweighed him by nearly 25 pounds last month, David Rodela climbed out of the ring, walked directly to the closest mirror and assessed the damage.
“You got me good,” he told Abraham Lopez, pointing to a welt near his Adam’s apple. “I don’t know if that was a jab or a hook, but I’m going to feel that one later.”

Bruises like that hardly faze Rodela anymore because he has endured far worse pursuing a line of work in which he gets beaten up for a living. The 31-year-old boxer is a professional sparring partner, one of the least glamorous and most punishing jobs in sports.

For the past decade, Rodela has enthusiastically strapped on headgear, pulled on gloves and exchanged punches with some of the best boxers in the world, a list that includes Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito, Victor Ortiz, Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and many others. Pacquiao in particular has utilized Rodela as a sparring partner in preparation for most of his major fights for the past decade because of the California native’s stamina, durability and ability to mimic the style and tactics of an upcoming opponent.

Though a flurry of recent losses have dimmed Rodela’s hopes of hoisting a title belt of his own someday, carving out a niche as one of boxing’s most coveted sparring partners has eased some of his disappointment. Rodela may never achieve the individual success many projected when he turned pro in 2004 after a decorated amateur career, but he still feels he has enhanced his legacy in the sport by contributing to Pacquiao’s emergence as an eight-time world champion and one of the best fighters of his era.

“I take a lot of pride in what I’ve accomplished,” Rodela said. “I didn’t win a world championship, but I think I’ve made an impact in the sport of boxing. Everyone knows who Muhammad Ali is. Who wouldn’t want to say he helped Muhammad Ali become a champion? I’ve done that except it isn’t Muhammad Ali. It’s Manny Pacquiao, the Muhammad Ali of my era. Other people might be like, ‘Dude, that’s what you want?’ Well, in my book, I’m happy with that.”

If it seems odd for Rodela to share in the glory when one of the boxers he spars with scores a big win, consider the sacrifices he has made to help make those victories possible.

He withstood eight weeks of sparring with a fractured jaw in 2009, thanks to a vicious left hand from Pacquiao on the first day of camp. He endured some one-sided beatings earlier that same year trying to learn to fight left-handed after Ortiz asked him to imitate a southpaw welterweight. A few times, Rodela has even accepted invitations to spar with 200-plus-pound heavyweights even though he typically fights in the 135-pound lightweight division.

Although Rodela receives as much as $1,200 per week while in camp with Pacquiao or other fighters, those paychecks have come at a steep price. Spending so much time studying film of other fighters and imitating them in the ring has caused Rodela to slowly lose his own identity as a boxer, contributing to his slide out of the lightweight and super featherweight title pictures during the past four years.

“His ability to imitate a lot of styles is kind of a blessing and a curse in some ways,” said Joseph “Hoss” Janik, Rodela’s trainer at Knuckleheadz boxing gym in Ventura, Calif. “He’s not really sure who he is as a fighter anymore. Talent-wise, he’s probably one of the top two or three talents I’ve worked with in my career, but it has helped him more with his sparring than it has translated into his fighting career. Deep inside, he probably wishes he’d focused a little more on himself.”

The path Rodela has taken is a rarity in a sport in which sparring partners typically are up-and-coming boxers seeking to learn from a more experienced fighter or to prove themselves in the ring. Most boxers on the outskirts of the title chase retire by age 30 because the meager paydays for low-profile fights aren’t worth the pounding their bodies take.

There are two reasons Rodela has continued to pursue boxing when others might have already quit: The thrill of having his hand raised after victories is still the ultimate adrenaline rush for him and he hasn’t left himself many fall-back options to make a living outside the sport.

Unable to read or write as well as his peers as a result of suffering from dyslexia, Rodela fell behind in school and eventually dropped out without earning his high school diploma. The first-generation Mexican-American quickly came to view boxing as the only way out of his hardscrabble neighborhood in working-class Oxnard, Calif., an outlook reinforced by a visit to a temporary job agency at the same time as he was trying to get his professional boxing career off the ground.

One section of the application was too complex for Rodela, so he asked his wife to read him the question and write the answers that he dictated. An agency staffer spotted Rodela’s wife filling out the application for him and quickly made it clear that wasn’t allowed.

“The lady said, ‘Hey, hey, around here we’re all big boys and we all write our own papers,'” Rodela recalled. “She didn’t know better, but I just got so angry inside. It drove me crazy. I crumpled up the paper and threw it back at her.”

Fortunately for Rodela, he had enough natural ability as a fighter that professional boxing wasn’t as unrealistic a goal as many of his skeptical teachers and career counselors thought.

Having transitioned from kickboxing to traditional boxing at age 11, Rodela quickly began demolishing other top young fighters and ascending the U.S. rankings in his division. The long, lanky Rodela eased his nerves before big fights by approaching them like a game of tag, making it his goal to catch his opponents with a hard left or right hand and then move too nimbly to let them touch him.

Success came so easily to Rodela as a youth that his work ethic suffered as a result.

Since his parents didn’t have enough money to go on family trips, Rodela viewed out-of-state amateur tournaments as the closest he’d come to taking a vacation. Instead of spending his time dieting and conditioning to make weight, he’d go sightseeing, eat greasy foods and then take his chances against bigger boxers at a higher weight class.

“These kids would be running around the parking lot trying to make weight and I’d be eating pizza or McDonald’s or whatever I want,” Rodela said. “Then I’d show up the next day and win the whole thing. People were like, ‘You lucky bastard,’ but I wasn’t going to stress. I was enjoying myself.”

The wakeup call never came for Rodela during an amateur career that culminated with a U.S. national lightweight championship and a berth in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. Only after a near-tragic accident later that year did Rodela’s mentality finally change.

As Rodela drove home from a friend’s house in Santa Barbara in the wee hours of the morning on April 4, 2004, he dozed off at the wheel, lost control of the car and woke up just in time to brace himself as the vehicle careened into a pole and a wall. The collision shattered Rodela’s right femur so badly that doctors initially broached the idea of amputating and later told the boxer he’d probably never walk again even after they managed to save his leg.

Holed up in bed for months following the accident, Rodela relied on his younger brother to bring him food and help him bathe and use the bathroom. He never lost hope of resuming his boxing career, however, eventually making his professional debut a mere nine months after the accident and earning a draw despite fighting with his right leg dragging behind him.

“One silver lining from the accident was it gave David an appreciation for being able to do simple stuff like running and jumping rope,” Janik said. “He always says, ‘I can’t imagine what I’d have been like as an amateur if I’d have trained hard.’ He was always so talented that when his coach told him to run, he’d go sit on the curb, splash some water on his face and come back. After his accident, as soon as he could walk, he was walking. As soon as he could jog, he was jogging. So it humbled him a lot.”

Rodela’s professional career was still in its infancy when a combination of naivete and bravado resulted in his first sparring session with Pacquiao.

When a couple of men showed an interest in sponsoring Rodela soon after his return from the shattered femur, he tried to make himself sound like a big shot by telling them he planned to go spar at the prestigious Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles. That quickly backfired when the men called his bluff and asked to go with him, forcing Rodela to look up the gym’s address on a search engine, show up unannounced, introduce himself to acclaimed trainer Freddie Roach and beg him for a chance to spar.

Roach asked Rodela for his height and weight before stunning him with an offer he never expected. He told Rodela to come back in a couple hours if he wanted to spar with Pacquiao.

“I go, ‘Am I good enough?’ Rodela said with a chuckle. “He says, ‘I don’t know. We’ll see.’ Part of me was happy because the sponsorship guys got excited, but inside I was scared [out of my wits].”

Rodela performed well enough in that initial sparring session with Pacquiao that Roach invited him back a second time to go two rounds. That time Pacquiao dropped Rodela with a ferocious left hand in the first round, but the 22-year-old impressed his famous counterpart by insisting they keep going.

“I told him, ‘I need another round to get even,'” Rodela said. “He just smirked like this dude’s crazy, but after the second round, he told me, ‘I like you. You’ve got a lot of heart. I want you to be part of my team.'”

That invitation sparked a decade-long partnership between Pacquiao and Rodela that has proven fruitful for both men. Rodela has sometimes put aside his own aspirations to help Pacquiao prepare for upcoming fights. And Pacquiao has made sure Rodela knows his sacrifices aren’t taken for granted.

Pacquiao has flown Rodela to and from his fights on his charter jet, invited him to his pre-fight meals and paid for floor seats for him and his friends. Pacquiao has also gone out of his way to visit or call Rodela or Janik after a fight to thank them for their assistance. In 2011, Pacquiao went so far as to give Rodela the ultimate wedding gift by writing him a check for the down payment on a new house.

The long-term relationship between Pacquiao and Rodela caught the attention of other elite fighters seeking a dependable sparring partner. Even now that he’s in his early 30s, Rodela is still in such demand that he can charge more than $1,000 a week for his services, double or even triple what many sparring partners receive for similar gigs.

“David is good at imitating styles, his chin is probably the best I’ve ever come across and he won’t try to take your head off,” said Francisco “Chia” Santana, who sparred with Rodela in preparation for a June fight. “A lot of sparring partners try to knock you out and make a name for themselves, but David doesn’t do that. He’s very loyal to the camp and very respectful. He’ll bring it but he knows when to pull back too.”

There was a point in Rodela’s career when it seemed like he could have it all — a partnership with Pacquiao, a reputation as a gifted sparring partner and the chance to contend for a world title of his own. Rodela toppled former featherweight champ Kevin Kelley in August 2008 and won his next three fights, setting up a key matchup with unbeaten Eloy Perez in January 2010 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Perez won a unanimous decision that night, vaulting himself briefly into title contention and sending Rodela’s career into a tailspin. Rodela struggled to regain his confidence and identity as a boxer, only winning two of his next 10 fights after that defeat until a victory earlier this month.

The losses caused Rodela to ponder retirement and focus exclusively on his other job as a youth boxing coach for the city of Oxnard, but so far his passion for the sport has always pulled him back. The allure of reeling off a few wins and ending his career on a better note is one draw, as is the fact that his phone still rings every week with offers from fighters seeking an experienced sparring partner.

As Rodela enters the sunset of his boxing career, one of his other priorities is working with his two sons to make sure they have an easier path in life. One of the biggest lessons he imparts is to work hard in school so they have more options than he did. Another he frequently emphasizes is to be tough enough not to quit when something is difficult.

Rodela’s eldest son had just begun dabbling in boxing a few months ago when he attended one of his dad’s clinics in Oxnard and challenged the biggest kid in the class to spar for two rounds. When the younger Rodela predictably got knocked down in the first round, he looked at his father with tears welling in his eyes and said, “That’s it, Dad. I’m done.”

The older Rodela would have none of it.

“How many rounds did you ask for?” Rodela asked his son. “You asked for two and you always finish what you start.”

Rodela’s own career as a sparring partner epitomizes that lesson. From black eyes to bloody noses to broken bones, nothing has convinced him to give it up.

It’s from here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/boxing/toughest-jobs-in-sports–sparring-partner-for-manny-pacquiao-122128508.html
And look this:
Manny Pacquiao vs Amir Khan sparring partner of both on who is faster EsNews

The Good: There is not much good I can say about this fight if I am honest with myself. I do believe that Algieri is showing a lot of guts to take this fight. Fresh off a shocking win over Ruslan Provodnikov, not many young fighters would want to face Manny Pacquiao in their very next fight. So my hat goes off to Algieri for challenging Manny, and challenging himself. I also like the fact that Manny is willing to give an up and comer, like Algieri a shot at his belt. Manny is not making outrageous demands such as; beat Adrien Broner, or beat Andre Berto, or defend your title three times and then you can fight me. Algieri, after all is a champion, and I do believe champions should fight champions no matter how much of a mismatch people think it is.

The Bad: This fight perhaps could be very one sided. Algieri shocked me by beating Provodnikov, but Manny is a completely different fighter. Manny is a lot faster, and a lot better of a boxer than Provodnikov, so I do not think this will be a very competitive contest. This fight is very low risk, and very low reward for Pacquiao. I believe if Manny wins, he actually loses, and if Manny loses, his career will be in jeopardy. If he loses, people will say he got beat by a virtually unknown fighter. If he wins, people will say he cherry picked a virtually unknown fighter. In reality, there is nothing for Manny Pacquiao to gain from this fight. However, if Manny did not take the fight, people would possibly say that Pacquiao is ducking Algieri. As silly as it sounds, it’s a tough position for any fighter to be in.

The Ugly: This fight being on pay per view is what is ugly. In fact, in my opinion, it is one of the worst pay per view fights in the last several years. This fight should be on HBO with another decent fight on the undercard. I cannot comprehend why anyone would want to pay $59.99-$74.99 to see this fight. I cannot comprehend why any promoter would think anyone would want to pay that amount for this fight. I know Pacquiao is a superstar, and a pay per view attraction, but pay per view should be reserved for major attraction fights. This fight is not a major attraction, and it will be interesting to see how the fighters and promoters try to get fans on board. I think the real losers in this fight are boxing fans for having such horrible pay per view fights forced upon them.

Prior to her blistering 16-second TKO win over Alexis Davis at UFC 175, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to lay out her plan on becoming a true female action star.

I never thought that being an action movie star was in the cards for me, said Rousey. My agent, [WME’s] Brad Slater, kept telling me, You’re going to be the female Rock. Then I started to believe it could be a reality. I don’t half-ass anything. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to be the best in the world at it. A lot of actresses appear in action movies, but there aren’t any female action stars. I love Angelina Jolie, but … it’s about believability for me. Milla Jovovich is one of my favorite actresses — The Fifth Element really opened my eyes, and the Resident Evil franchise was amazing. So definitely a mix of Milla Jovovich and The Rock is what I’m going for. People love chick fights. They love tough, empowered women. And there is a demand. People just don’t know it.

With roles in Expendables 3, Fast Furious 7 and Entourage, Rousey could be on a collision course with another fighter turned actress. UFC president Dana White has made it clear he intends on bringing former star Gina Carano back into the fight game to book the biggest women’s MMA bout in history against Rousey.

Rousey underwent a knee scope Tuesday, but also suffered a broken a thumb in her bout on Jul. 5 against Davis. According to Rousey, neither injury would hinder a year-end bout with Carano if the fight could be booked.

Fresh from a UFC 172 win over Jessamyn Duke in April, Brazilian bantamweight prospect Bethe Pitbull Correia will target another member of the Four Horsewomen when she takes on veteran Shayna Baszler at UFC 177 on August 30.

The bout was originally scheduled to take place on the postponed UFC 176 event in Los Angeles,

Correia, 8-0 with two UFC victories, made no secret of her desire to defeat each member of the California fight team led by UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, and now she’ll get her chance at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento against Baszler, a female fighting pioneer and Ultimate Fighter 18 cast member who will be making her Octagon debut in the summer showdown.

The war of words between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes over performance-enhancing drugs continued Tuesday with the latter’s appearance on Sherdog Radio.

Asked whether or not he believed Aldo was a PED user, Mendes seemed sure of it.

I definitely do [think Aldo’s using PEDs], said Mendes. This is something that’s been ongoing, but for him to all of a sudden just drop out — I mean he drops out of a lot of fights — but I think it’s pretty coincidental.

Aldo handed Mendes the first and only loss of his career at UFC 142 in January 2012, starching the challenger with a standing knee KO in the first round. With Aldo not exactly known for bringing personal attacks into his pre-fight promotion, Mendes seems to have stuck a cord with the champ. Calling Mendes ‘a pu**y’ on Jul. 11, Aldo facetiously wondered if ‘Maybe I have so many injuries because I’m not taking the same ‘supplements’ you take.’

The first time I saw that, for me, this is huge in my mind, said Mendes of Aldo’s comments. He’s reaching big time. We have never seen Aldo lash out like this; we’ve never seen him lose his temper. I am in his head. I own him right now.

This is huge for me. This is huge for me getting in there and taking that belt from him. I’ve never seen him talk like this about anybody. He’s being very disrespectful, Mendes continued. I’ve never been caught red-handed or anything. It’s funny to me that as soon as the whole random drug testing started popping up, the next day he is injured and out of the fight. If anything, I could throw that in his face, but whatever.

Aldo has also criticized Mendes’ campaign to avoid a return trip to Brazil, the site of their first bout two years ago. Mendes has mentioned the difficulty in flying his family out to watch him challenge for the title in Brazil, but seems to have more practical concerns in regard to the local athletic commission’s ability to properly screen athletes for PEDs.

So this is the thing: We’ve got all this random drug testing, all this stuff that’s going on, testing for EPO, HGH, all this stuff now — they can get away with that stuff over in Brazil, said Mendes. This is why he wants me to be in Brazil and fighting in Brazil, [because] they can do all that kind of stuff there.

For me, I want this to be a fair fight. I went there first; I fought him in his backyard. I think it’s only fair he comes here and fights me in my backyard. Let’s make it one and one and see what happens. We are still working on it. I talked to [UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby] a little bit. It’s a 50/50 percent chance it could end up in Brazil. We are trying obviously to get it pushed here [in the United States, presumably California]. We don’t know for sure.

The pair’s rematch was originally slated for the main event at UFC 176 Aug. 2 in Los Angeles, California before Aldo was forced to withdraw due to a spine and neck injury. The event was subsequently cancelled or ‘postponed’ as UFC officials put it.

Lucas Martins had his last two UFC fights canceled due to injuries, but that turned out to be great for the Chute Boxe talent.

Coming off stoppage victories over Jeremy Larsen (TKO) at lightweight and Ramiro Hernandez (submission) at bantamweight in his last appearances inside the Octagon, Mineiro moves up to the featherweight division to battle Alex White at UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City, N.J., and he’s glad he had those injuries.

I had two injuries that kept me out of the cage, but God knows everything and I evolved physically and technically during this time off, Martins told MMAFighting.com. I evolved a lot. I will be 110 percent in this fight.

Pulled from fights with Johnny Eduardo and Aljamain Sterling with right foot injuries, Mineiro also saw his UFN 45 opponent change because of it. Alex White will replace Jim Alers, and the Brazilian sees the undefeated foe as a good match-up.

I expect the best in this fight, and I win will by knockout, he said. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m not underestimating him, but his ground game doesn’t scare me at all. I train with (jiu-jitsu) black belts, so I’m ready. I think he wants to stand and trade punches with me, but I trained for everything. When I land my hand on his chin, he will go down.

Martins will compete on the third different weigh class in his fourth UFC bout, and he’s not planning more changes after Wednesday’s bout.

I always fought at 145 pounds in Brazil, he said. I entered the UFC in a short-notice fight against Edson (Barboza) at 155, and then I asked the UFC to move down to 145 but the division was full. I talked to my coaches and dropped to 135, but I felt the weigh cut, so I’m moving back to 145 now. That’s where I feel comfortable and strong.

I’m young, I started training MMA four years ago and entered the UFC two years ago. I want to be at the top 10 as soon as possible. I want to do two more fights this year. Top 10, top 5… I’m ready. Bring it.

We are live inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico for King of the Cage “Rumble”. Stay tuned to this post and keep refreshing the page throughout the night to get your fight results and updates. The main event of the evening will be two-fold as their will be two featured bouts. Aaron Perls and Dorian Dixon will make their professional debuts in the 155-pound division and Judgement MMA’s John Rozema makes his pro debut against Colorado’s David Payne.

Round 1 – Alba would close the distance with front kicks to the body before Romero attempted to get a takedown. The two exchanged in the clinch with both fighters looking to get good position. Romero seemed to muscle Alba more definitely as he kept position for a good 30-seconds. Alba reversed and landed a knee and now he swarmed him. He is landing some solid strikes while Romero retreats. Romero shoots but Alba gets the guillotine choke. HE escapes and forces a stalemate for the referee to put them back to striking range. Romero catches a right hand over the top on Alba’s chin and follows with a left and barrage of punches. End of round, close but that should be Romero 10-9.

Round 2 – Alba swarms to start the round and Romero defends and retreats. Alba is all over Romero but Romero covering up is keeping him out of danger. Alba has reach and he is using it well. Leg kick lands for Romero and he lunges in. Alba gets a front kick caught and Romero has him up against the fence. Alba reversed and puts Romero on the cage landing knees to the leg but Romero shoots in on a double leg. He gets it! Round ending and Romero ends on top, but I think Alba did enough to win the round 10-9.

Round 3 – Right straight lands for Romero that stuns Alba but Alba fires back and DROPS Romero with his own straight right. Romero gets his legs back and presses Alba onto the fence. Alba reveres a takedown and gets to the mount where he starts to land HUGE elbows on Romero. He is pouring it on here… it is all over!! The referee steps in to save Romero as Alba was raining down huge shots! Impressive stoppage for Alba!

Jeremy Alba defeats Bruce Lee Romero via TKO (Strikes) 1:26 – Round 3

Gary Taylor vs. Carlo Rodriguez

Round 1 – The 18-year old Rodriguez starts off quick with punches until Taylor presses the fight to the cage. They separate. Rodriguez comes forward with straight punches until a left hook lands and puts Taylor’s chin straight into the air. Knockout victory for Rodriguez who landed a shot that put Taylor out flat on his back! One punch KO! What a debut!

Carlo Rodriguez defeats Gary Taylor via KO (Punch) 0:56 Round 1

Andy Salas vs. Patrick Salazar

Round 1 – Both fighters miss kicks and Salazar shoots but Salas stuff. After an exchange, Salazar gets the takedown. Salas sneaks in a triangle choke but it is loose. He cuts the angle but Salazar is defending well. Now it is deep and Salas goes belly down on it but Salazar scrambles out. Salazar has Salas up against the fence now but they separate. Salas lands a leg kick. Left hand drops Salazar! Salazar recovers into a takedown but Salas stuffs it. Salazar is stuck underneath Salas looking for a single. Round ends, that one should be Salas 10-9 for the submission and knockdown.

Round 2 – Salas starts swarming and lands some clean strikes that rattle Salazar but Salazar catches a counter. Salas gets the clinch and is looking to land inside. Knees to the body land clean. Salas is all over him here. Salazar shoots but Salas stops it easy and sprawls into top position. Salas takes the back and gets the rear naked choke!

Round 1 – Masyesva catches a kick and takes Aldaco down and now works from top position. Aldaco rolling on an arm and he gets the armbar setup nicely. Switches to a triangle choke. Masayesva looks to punch out but it is locked up tight. Aldaco puts the squeeze on. Aldaco rolls him over and lets the choke go in favor of side control. Slick grappling from Aldaco. Ground and pound now peppering up Masayesva. Mount for Aldaco and he is raining down strikes. The ref stops it right before the bell! Slick grappling was the theme in that one.

Round 1 – Cardoza eats a leg kick and lands a big right hand. He shoots and Armstrong grabs the whizzer and gets the fight to the ground. Now Armstrong moves to mount. Now to the back and Armstrong is looking to land some punches and he is landing clean. Armstrong is strong from this position. Flattened out and Armstrong is teeing off and the referee has no choice but to step in and stop the fight. Dominant stuff from Armstrong.

Nate Armstrong defeats Joe Cardoza via TKO (Strikes) Round 1

Brianna Padilla vs. Melody Nanez

Round 1 – Leg kick lands or Padilla and the next one Nanez catches. Nanez catches another but eats a hook for her troubles. Padilla lands an inside kick and a left hand inside. A combination barely misses and now the two ladies are throwing caution to the wind as they wing punches. Nanez catches a power shot and Padilla keeps firing away. Padilla presses Nanez on the fence and lands knees to the leg. They separate. Intense! Round ending and Padilla finds a home for a two punch combo! They continue to exchange after the bell! Exciting first round that goes to Padilla 10-9.

Round 2 – Leg kick drops Nanez as she comes in and they return to standing quick. Nanez lands a jab. Spinning back fist nearly lands for Nanez. Padilla is just short on her punches but a leg kick lands. Jabs land for both. Huge overhand from Padilla misses. Round coming to an end and Padilla drops Nanez with a leg kick as the round ends. Padilla 10-9.

Round 3 – Nanez catches two kicks in a row and with the last one takes Padilla down but Padilla gets up with ill intent as she starts throwing bombs at Nanez. Now Padilla has Nanez pressed on the fence where she is throwing knees. Right hand lands for Nanez. Leg kick and front kick land for Padilla but there answered by a charging Nanez who lands a straight right. Leg kick for Padilla. Nanez catches Padilla in a wild exchange but they both land in the flurry. Padilla has Nanez pressed into the fence once again. This round caught up with the pace of the first round. 10 seconds…. Round ends with Padilla pressing Nanez on the fence. Should be Padilla 10-9 for the clean sweep

Round 1 – Smith lands a right hand and in an exchange ends up with a takedown. Smith working from open guard. He takes the back in a scramble and throws Seabrooks down to his back and flattens him out. He sinks in the choke! Quick and dominant stuff from Smith!

Round 1 – Proce charges in and Kapp looks to duck under but Proce gets on top and gets the mount QUICK! Pours it on and that is all she wrote folks! Proce with the quick finish!

Elias Proce defeats Eric Kapp via TKO (Strikes) Round 1 – 0:28

Richard Gonzales vs. Seth Leake

Round 1 – Two punches land for Leake and Gonzales goes down. Leake switches to side control and starts raining down the strikes. The referee steps in as Leake was too much, too quick and Gonzales couldn’t get his bearings after the knockdown.

Seth Leake defeats Richard Gonzales via TKO (Strikes) Round 1 – 0:29

Joel Whitney vs. Joseph Veloz

Round 1 – Whitney lands a flush right hand and then a hook. They exchange kicks and Whitney dives in and gets a takedown. Whitney works from the full guard. Veloz has an arm trapped and is staying active with sweep setups. Whitney lands punches to the body. Whitney postures up and starts raining down some huge hammerfists. He lands solid about ten straight hammerfists and the referee stops it!

Joel Whitney defeats Joseph Veloz via TKO (Strikes) 1:21

Mike Taff vs. Marcos Mendoza

Round 1 – Taff lands a right but Mendoza ducks under and grabs the body lock. They exchange knees. Mendoza catches a single leg and rides through with it. Taff fights valiantly but Mendoza gets the takedown after running the pipe. Mendoza looks to mount and for a moment does. He is landing some brutal stuff here. Side control now for Mendoza. Knee on belly to mount transition and Mendoza starts raining down the punches. Mendoza tries for a rear naked without hooks and he lets go to throw more leather. The round ends with Mendoza raining down the strikes. Possible 10-8 for Mendoza.

Round 2 – Taff lands a nasty leg kick that buckles Mendoza and Mendoza shoots but Taff sprawls. Mendoza is deep on a single leg along the fence but he is definitely recovering from that kick to the leg that had him hurt. There back to standing. Right hand drops Mendoza and Taff immediately jumps to mount and gets the TKO finish! Wow, that was a comeback!

Mike Taff defeats Marcos Mendoza via TKO (Strikes) Round 2 – 1:17

Andy Varela vs. Sipu Zenga (sp?) The Manimal

Round 1 – Flying knee from Varela and Zenga gets slammed HARD by Varela. Varela tees off with knees. Zenga is in bad shape. There back up now. Varela has Zenga up on the fence and takes him back down. Zenga working from his open-half guard. Varela mounts. Varela gets the arm bar but Zenga toughs out but ends up in a triangle. Varela gets the tap! A wild, WILD fight.

Round 1 – Williams whips three leg kicks and Vargas closes the distance to put Williams on the fence. Vargas gets a single leg and drags Williams down to the mat. Williams reverses and gets top positions and immediately begins to land punches from the top position. Vargas uses the fence to get to his feet but Williams fits in a knee as they disengage. Vargas back on a low single leg and Williams reverses. They clinch and Vargas gets a takedown. Williams sweeps! Williams tries to step over the legs to mount but Vargas recovers. Williams gets to mount! He starts throwing! Round ending and that will be a Williams 10-9 round.

Round 2 – Williams grabs a clinch and blasts a knee through and now a right hook lands. Inside leg kick lands for Vargas. Williams powers through on a takedown and starts pouring it down on Vargas. Vargas tries to escape but Williams is all over him. Williams lands solid., Vargas gives up his back and … scrambles to get top position! Williams has his back against the fence now. Williams is up! Vargas is deep on a single and goes for the takedown but Williams falls back and uses momentum to sweep! Williams in the mount. Williams is landing clean from the mount. Vargas fights back for halfguard. The round ends and Williams gets that one 10-9.

Round 3 – Leg kick from Williams. Left hook lands for Williams. Knees from the clinch for Williams and now to the body lock. Trip takedown for Williams and he works from an open half-guard. Williams working methodically in side control with short elbows. More punches from Williams keeping his offense active to hold position. Short elbows. A methodical beatdown here from Williams. Round ending and that was a clear 10-9 for Williams and should be a clean sweep on the cards.

(C) Robert Herrera vs. Mark McGlasson – King of the Cage Amateur Title Fight

Round 1 – McGlasson throws a front kick and Herrera catches it and kick McGlasson down. Herrera working from top position and mounts McGlasson. McGlasson is locking up posture. Herrera gets space and lands some strikes. After some posturing from both fighters, Herrera gets more space to open up. Nice short elbow lands. McGlasson gets back to a half guard, tries to buck and nearly gets on top but Herrera has a very solid base. Back to mount for Herrera. That was arguably a 10-8 round for Herrera.

Round 2 – McGlasson runs Herrera down and throws a kick. For his troubles, Herrera picks him up high over his head and slams him down hard into the mat. Working from the full guard now, Herrera passes slickly to a half guard position. McGlasson looks to go into a deep half guard but Herrera shuts it down and now he moves to mount. Short elbows land and McGlasson is holding on to keep down the posture of Herrera. Herrera is in side control now and McGlasson uses the fence to buck Herrera off but just for a moment as Herrera is all over him. He takes the back and gets his hooks locked in. Herrera gets the tap! Another impressive performance from the Champ!

Round 1 – Jab from Dixon. Another and a leg kick. Dixon drops Perls with a left but Perls is right back up. They trade and Perls finds a home for his punches. Now to the clinch where Perls is working a single but Dixon is looking to snatch up the neck for a guillotine. Perls switches to a double leg but Dixon gets heavy preventing it. Elbows from Dixon to the body of Perls looks like they sting. Perls gets the trip takedown and now he works from full guard. Short punches from Perls and Dixon looks like he wants to sweep or escape the ground. Clean stand up from the referee. Jab from Dixon. Slip on a kick from Perls leads to a huge knee from Dixon and ANOTHER! Perls goes down but he is up. Dixon with some loud foot stomps. Back to standing. Perls charges in for a takedown and eats a huge punch from Dixon that stuns him. A head kick barely misses from Dixon. Perls gets the body lock but Dixon gets the feet tangled to get his own takedown. They are back up. Perls charges in and Dixon presses the action the fence. 10 second warning. Very exciting round, close but should be a Dixon 10-9 round.

Round 2 – Body kick from Perls lands and he misses running in with an overhand. Flying knee to the body from Dixon. And they clinch with Perls getting the trip takedown. Perls in top position inside the half guard. Dixon has the right arm locked up preventing posture. And the left leg trapped preventing the pass to side control. Perls in the mount raining down strikes but none land clean. Dixon is in trouble here. Perls jumps into an arm triangle and Dixon gives the thumbs up. Dixon taps! Come from behind victory for Perls!

Round 1 – Inside leg kick lands for Rozema. Two punch combo misses. Leg kick from Payne. Payne dops his hands taunting. Rozema answers with the thai clinch and knees. Front kick for Rozema. Head kick misses for Rozema and Payne catches a right hook on Rozema’s chin. Some clinch work from both men. The collar tie for Rozema and Payne is working for the takedown. Rozema uses the cage to stay up and the referee stops the action to issue a warning. More bullying inside the clinch from Payne. Knee inside for Rozema lands. Straight right and left hook lands for Rozema and Payne gets the takedown but Rozema pops right back up. Payne back into pressing the action into the fence. Left hand lands for Payne. Payne hunting a single leg. Gets it and Rozema pops back up. Rozema now pushing his weight onto Payne on the fence. Back to that Thai Plum but Rozema can not get the space to throw knees. Uppercuts and hooks land in a flurry for Rozema. Payne back to the clinch. Body lock for Payne but Rozema gets the advantage in the clinch but reversed again for Payne. Round ends, close … very close round. Maybe even 10-10, but it may be Payne 10-9 for controlling the action. Rozema did land more significant shots.

Round 2 – Leg kick whips in twice for Payne. Head kick blocked by Payne. Another misses and Payne lands a flurry. Rozema gets the clinch along the fence and he is looking to land. That Muay Thai Plum seems to work for control but he hasn’t had the space to land anything powerful. Payne reverses. Referee breaks the clinch. Both fighters land hard, Rozema may have gotten his left hook in harder. Knee lands for Payne. Back to standing. Jab for Payne lands. Front kick now. Left hook from Rozema lands. A flurry from Rozema back pedals Payne. Payne tries to power a single from a knee catch but Rozema starts unleashing some elbows inside the clinch to the head of Payne. Rozema flurries again and now he lands some knees from that Muay Thai clinch! A barrage! Payne goes down! but he catches a leg to try and survive with a single. Payne picks Rozema up and slams! But Rozema is up throwing leather once again! Now Rozema is on top of a turtled Payne. He throws some more power strikes on a grounded Payne and the referee stops it!

LAS VEGAS — Although pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. said last week that he planned to give a rematch to Marcos Maidana, the unified welterweight champion made it official on Thursday with an announcement over social media.

Although the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, has pressed hard to land a Mayweather fight, he is comfortable fighting in his hometown and will lace ’em up at the MGM Grand for the 10th consecutive time.

Mayweather is hoping to erase any doubt about what happened on May 3 when he faced Maidana for the first time and won a majority decision — 117-111, 116-112 and 114-114 — to unify 147-pound world titles in a very tough fight, one of the most competitive and entertaining of his career.

Marcos Maidana is a tough customer and he gave me a fight that had me work for the victory, Mayweather said in a news release. His style is difficult at best, but with experience comes a way and will to win. I’m not one to give second chances in the ring, but I want to give the fans what they want to see. I will be as prepared as I always am when I step in the ring on Sept. 13. I only see the outcome one way and that’s another successful night for me and my team.

Although most thought Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs), 37, did enough to win, Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs), 30, of Argentina, disputed the decision and had given Mayweather his most difficult fight in years.

The rematch with Mayweather is the only fight that really motivates me, Maidana said in the release. I feel I earned it in the ring and Floyd owed it to me. I’ve already proved that I don’t care if the man I have in front of me is the best pound-for-pound champion. I was close to ending his reign last time. On Sept. 13 he will not get away undefeated.

Mayweather also probably picked Maidana because he is essentially out of established opponents to face since a showdown with fellow champion Manny Pacquiao — the one fight the public has demanded for years — is not even up for discussion given their different promotional and network alliances. And that’s even before an argument over the financial split, drug testing and numerous other issues.

It was such a great fight in May and I know everywhere I’ve been going the fans have been saying that and that Floyd should fight him in a rematch, Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com. So why not? Maidana thought he won the fight. Floyd knows he won the fight. It was a tremendous fight.

Ellerbe said they considered other potential opponents, but he declined to name names.

I don’t want to get into the names. It comes down to that the first fight was a great fight and this is a fight that fans wanted to see again, Ellerbe said.

The fight will be promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, which has promoted all of Mayweather’s fights since 2007. The reason why that is noteworthy is because last month, in the wake of the resignation of Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer, who is very close to Mayweather, Ellerbe told ESPN.com that they would no longer work with Golden Boy.

Absolutely not, Ellerbe said when asked if they would work with Golden Boy minus Schaefer.

Mayweather himself said before the first fight with Maidana — when Schaefer’s future at the company was in question — that the only reason he worked with Golden Boy was because of Schaefer. Mayweather does not have a good relationship with Golden Boy president and co-founder Oscar De La Hoya, who has taken the reigns of the day-to-day business of the company.

But the decision to remain with Golden Boy came down to business. Mayweather Promotions is not licensed in Nevada, and although it could have hired somebody else, Golden Boy is one of the biggest promotional companies in the world, has loads of experience with Mayweather events, the MGM and the sponsors, not to mention that Maidana is promoted by Golden Boy.

Following Thursday’s final news conference for Saturday night’s Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara fight at the MGM Grand, De La Hoya, who is promoting the Showtime PPV card, addressed the Mayweather situation.

There’s no reason for Floyd and I not to be working together, he said. We don’t have to be best of friends. But we don’t have to be enemies or rivals or have issues. I’m glad that we came to terms and made this fight happen. I’m sure he could have chosen to use somebody else (as his promoter).

The fact that he understood and the fact that he gave us the opportunity — it’s a business, and behind his decision was common sense. We bring something to the table that is very valuable. We know how to promote fights.

When asked why the change of heart, Ellerbe said: My job is to maximize all the revenues, benefits and opportunities for Floyd Mayweather. That is a very strict business principle. At the end of the day, I have a lot of damn work to do. Any time that you’re running the business and you’re putting on major, major events and generating this kind of revenue, it’s by any means necessary.

Added De La Hoya: Getting Mayweather with Golden Boy Promotions is a powerhouse. We will do whatever we can and as much as we can to make this event once again a success. But most importantly, I have to take my hat off to Floyd Mayweather for picking once again Maidana, for giving us the rematch. He didn’t have to. It was a tough fight. It really was.

Physically, it was a very difficult fight. So he didn’t have to give Maidana the rematch, but he did. You have give credit and respect where it’s due.

A five-city tour to promote the fight — with all stops open and free to the public — kicks off on Monday with news conferences in New York in the afternoon followed by an evening one in Washington, D.C. They will be in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, San Antonio on Tuesday evening and Los Angeles on Thursday.

The day before the May 3 fight a controversy arose over the kind of gloves Maidana would wear. Mayweather objected to a pair and the Nevada State Athletic commission agreed, but even when the commission signed off on a replacement pair of gloves — a model considered better for punchers, which is what Maidana is — Mayweather still objected.

Ultimately, they made a side deal engineered by Al Haymon, the adviser for both Mayweather and Maidana, under which Maidana was paid an additional $1.5 million to switch to the kind of gloves Mayweather approved.

Ellerbe declined to discuss what the contracts for the rematch say as it relates to the gloves but added, We have a document and if Maidana wants to talk about it, fine. They won’t be using no horse hair gloves, but I don’t want to get into specifics.

Sponsors

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